Finland
Updated online form for new employee announcements
Effective 31 October 2024, the employee announcement form in the Enter Finland for Employers online service will be updated. From that date, there will be a new and simplified employee announcement form, making it quicker and easier for employers to submit the announcement. Employers must submit an employee announcement when employing a person from outside the EU/EEA countries.
Employee announcements can be submitted using the online service Enter Finland for Employers. Due to the update, there will be a service break on 30 October 2024 between 17h00–23h00 approximately. During the service break, announcements cannot be submitted.
Once submitted, employee announcements are usually stored on the employer’s Enter Finland for Employers account for 30 days. Due to the update, announcements submitted on 30 October 2024 or earlier will disappear from the account.
- Employers who wish to see the announcements that they have submitted within the last 30 days must save them before the service break.
- If there are unsubmitted drafts of announcements on an account on 30 October 2024, they will disappear when the service break begins.
- Announcements submitted on 31 October 2024 or thereafter will remain on the account as usual for 30 days.
Private individuals who are employers but do not have a Business ID cannot use Enter Finland for Employers to submit their employee announcement. They do not need to submit an employee announcement if their employee is only now applying for a residence permit and they have already added or will add the terms of employment to the employee’s application.
Work permit services of TE (employment and economic development) Offices to be transferred to Finnish Immigration Service on 1 January 2025
As of 1 January 2025, the Finnish Immigration Service will be responsible for all residence permit matters for employed persons. The changes are part of the overall reform of employment and economic development services in Finland
Ireland
Launch of new online immigration self-service portal
On 24 October 2024, the Department of Justice announced the launch of the Digital Contact Centre (DCC) for immigration.
The DCC is a self-service portal that will enable immigration customers to book and amend first-time registration appointments, replacing the need for them to call a contact centre to arrange such an appointment.
The new system will also allow people to check the status of their applications, and over time will allow people to raise queries in relation to visas, registration, domestic residence permissions, travel documents, EU treaty rights and Citizenship applications.
Almost half of queries received by Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) in the Department are customers seeking updates on their applications. This new system empowers customers to receive updates and information in a more efficient manner and will allow staff within ISD to devote more time to processing applications.
Turkey
Work permit exemption extended to three years for certain foreign nationals
On 15 October 2024, the government published amendments to the Regulation on the Implementation of the International Labour Force Law.
The work permit exemption previously granted to foreign nationals contributing to economic, socio-cultural, technological and educational fields for up to six months has been extended to three years.
Moreover, application procedures have been simplified for work permit exemptions for holders of humanitarian residence permits or temporary protection status, now requiring only the submission of an information form.
Another work permit exemption has been extended to foreign journalists holding a permanent press card and with approval from the Presidential Directorate of Communications.
Finally, it is no longer necessary to apply for a work permit exemption within 30 days of arrival in Türkiye. Instead, applications can now be submitted at any time during a foreign national’s legal stay in the country.
United Kingdom
New UK visa application supplier in Ghana
The Foreign Office has announced that, effective 22 October 2024, anyone in Ghana applying for visas to enter the UK will need to use a new visa application centre (VAC).
The UK’s third-party VAC supplier in Ghana is changing to VFSGlobal on this date. This means applicants in Ghana will need to complete their applications with VFSGlobal, even if they have begun the process with the previous supplier, TLScontact.
Affected applicants will be contacted by email. However, this change will not affect visa application decisions, processing times or prices.
The change is expected to lead to shorter biometric and application submission times on average.
The UK’s global network of VACs is managed by third party suppliers on behalf of UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).
The new location for the Ghanaian VAC is Mezzanine Floor, Grand Oyeeman Building, South Liberation Link, Accra.
